


loves the fearless

by factorielle



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Gen, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-19
Updated: 2014-07-19
Packaged: 2018-02-09 13:50:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1985280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/factorielle/pseuds/factorielle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's a bad day for Cancers.</p><blockquote>
  <p> "Give it up," Murasakibara says, not unkindly, in the beginning of the fourth quarter. "You can't do a thing without Mido-chin."</p>
</blockquote>
            </blockquote>





	loves the fearless

_Today's lowest ranking sign is Cancer! Quell your bad luck with ski sunglasses, but steer clear of Scorpios! Even if they have your best interests at heart, they'll bring you nothing but trouble._

* * *

"That is... unfortunate," Nakatani says, displaying once more a natural talent for frustrating understatement.

Takao closes his fists, digs his nails hard into his palms. "I can step down for today," he says, aware that everything in him, down to his voice, is shaking. "Kumagai could use the experience anyway, and--"

"Don't be foolish," Midorima interrupts. "This is not about you."

_Ouch, Shin-chan._

"Their shooting guard..." Midorima frowns. "Murasakibara's partner," as if he doesn't know the guy's name by now, "is also a Scorpio." He faces Nakatani, bows deep. "I apologize. I will not be able to play in today's game."

"I thought as much," Nakatani says. "But you'll stay on the bench. Maybe we can trick them into thinking you're about to come in." And maybe a romp of otters will come cartwheeling into the arena, but it's not something Takao will bet on.

"I believe the team will perform admirably nonetheless," Midorima says, stone-faced.

They send Kumagai and the other first-years on a quest for the sunglasses, but in midsummer, that would take a lot more luck than Shutoku can count on today.

* * *

 "Give it up," Murasakibara says, not unkindly, in the beginning of the fourth quarter. "You can't do a thing without Mido-chin."

Takao refuses to give him the satisfaction of glancing toward the bench. He dribbles, points a finger up. "One more," he calls, "let's take this calmly."

But it's not enough to ask for it. Yagi fumbles his reception, leaves himself wide open and ends up getting the ball stolen from him by Himuro. Kondou tries to counter but is driven past effortlessly, and there's nobody to even try and counter the Mirage Shot, which sinks in easily.

90-78.

"I'm telling you to bring him out," Murasakibara says, towering thirty centimeters over Takao. "The rest of you are too boring."

Losing to Akashi was bad enough, but at least back then Midorima was on the court, struggling along with him. This will be as empty a victory as Shutoku's third place in last year's Winter Cup, but it's Yosen's victory nonetheless, and Takao is breathless and shaking and all out of smart rejoinders, staring up at Murasakibara in the bubble of silence between them.

"Shutoku, player substitution!"

No. Not yet, not now, Takao may have wavered but he's still standing, Kumagai isn't ready for--

But it's Yagi who runs past him, high-fives a narrow-eyed Midorima on his way out.

"Shin-chan," Takao breathes, "your horoscope..."

"Screw it," Midorima says, and Takao _knows_ he heard that right because the entire Shutoku bench, coach included, is rocking the slack-jawed disbelief look.

And Takao would relish that, only Himuro is looking just as shocked, dismayed even, and the look on Midorima's face is one Takao has seen before, if only ever from afar: on Aomine, on Akashi, on Murasakibara, on Kagami over and over.

Takao grins.

"I gotta say, I like your new catchphrase a lot better," he says, and sends Shin-chan his best pass yet.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [little (big) lion man](https://archiveofourown.org/works/2209203) by [pennyofthewild](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pennyofthewild/pseuds/pennyofthewild)




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